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The Rake
by: Mary Jo Putney |
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Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 813 EAN: 9780451406866 ISBN: 0451406869 Label: Topaz Manufacturer: Topaz Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 352 Publication Date: April 01, 1998 Publisher: Topaz Studio: Topaz |
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| Customer Reviews | ||
  - Straight into my top tenThis is only the second MJP book I've ever read but I would rate it in my top ten list of historical/regency romances. It's an extremely well written, intense book about a complicated hero and a strong heroine. Reggie Davenport is the Rake of the title with a dreadful reputation. He's a damaged individual who has so far spent his life womanising, gambling and above all, drinking to excess yet he is inevitably charming, has a wicked sense of humour and you find that he has his own code of honour. He is given a chance to turn his life around when his cousin gives him a prosperous estate in Dorsetshire and there he encounters the steward responsible for running his property so successfully. The steward in question, AE Weston, turns out to be Alys Weston who has her own demons to escape from. The story of their developing relationship is really well drawn, the author lets you see into the heads of both of the main protagonists. The plot lines are believable and there are two charming secondary romances. A big part of the story concerns Reggie's gradual realisation of his dependence on alcohol and his fight to become sober but this is all really sympathetically done and well woven into the story line. Alys's support is vital and gives their relationship a great added dimension. I absolutely loved both the main characters, found the whole story charming, funny on occasion and also very moving in parts. It's a shame this book is out of print - it deserves to be reissued. Rating: - Redemption of a Rake!Having known friends who experienced the daily struggle to avoid alcohol, I was prepared to find this book either preachy or unbelievable. Instead, I found a touching love story between a rake (Reggie) whose drinking has spun out of control and a reformer (Alys) who has proven herself to be better than most men at her chosen job (steward of an estate) but who still has emotional issues with her unique appearance and perceived rejection by a former lover. Reggie's struggle with his past, his drinking, and his attraction to Alys (whom he keeps on the job because of her great ability, OK that probably wouldn't have happened in that time, but get over it) is very well-done. Alys's realization that she has her own type of beauty and that her inner self is more important that her outer self is wonderful (wish more women would get on this train!). The friendship that develops between them is warm and loving and the love scenes are sweet and hot without the usual twenty-page breath-by-breath descriptions of sex that would make a Tantric master hide in a box. Secondary romances between Reggie's valet & a pregnant housemaid and Alys's ward and Reggie's best friend are believable and add a lot to the story. The humor in the book is very well-done and the times that Reggie slips and starts drinking again are accurate and sad. This book is a classic and I will keep it on my "Forever" shelf so I can read it again and again. Rating:  - The Rake - Mary Jo PutneyI was very surprised when I read this book because I thought it would be a lot better. It was highly recommended on the forum on Amazon by the readers. I thought the author talented but I did not like the story very much. Both the hero and the heroine lived their lives according to something that happened so long ago. Then all of a sudden they forgive and forget... not a bad book but not the best. Rating: - Serious and excellent romanceReggie is a consummate rake. Which means that he spends his days doing nothing but indulging himself with women, gambling and all-nighters. He also has the usual issues: difficult childhood, no one who really loved him after his family died when he was 8, plus the fact that his inherited rights have been denied to him. You must be asking yourself, how is he different from the truckload of Tormented Heroes around? The difference is that he has a serious drinking problem. He is also suffering from depression: he realises that he has nothing to live for and at the age of 37 he cannot keep up with his younger mates. He is suffering from constant memory loss that usually follows a night of debauchery and it is not unusual that he wakes up feeling like the world is crumbling apart, full of bruises he does not know how he came about or money he does not remember he won. A voice keeps telling him that this way of life is going to kill him and he despairs. So it is no surprise when he jumps at the chance life is giving him when his cousin, who recently inherited the family title, decides to give his mother's estate back to him. Strickland is where he was born and where he lived a happy life until he was 8, a estate that it should have been his for years but his eviiiiil uncle wouldn't allow it. I could not help but to think that Strickland was to Reggie what Tara was eventually to Scarlett O'Hara- a lifeline, a source of strength where he could go and try to change his life. Alys is a 30 year old spinster who is also running from her past. She is capable, smart and has earned her living for years as a governess and later on as the steward of Strickland, a job she got based purely on her references. Reggie's uncle never interviewed her for the position and everyone in London just assumed she was a man. She is accepted and respected by everyone in the region and soon enough by Reggie too, who realises that she is brilliant at what she does. On top of her brains, she also has a heart - she has 3 wards that she must raise by herself and she is the friend who provides Reggie with the support that he needs. I loved Alys - she is a force to be reckoned with but to me, the book belongs to Reggie and his struggle to fight his inner demons, to stop drinking and to become a better man so that he could be with Alys. I was very surprised to see how delicately and yet seriously, the author dealt with the issue of alcoholism in the book. But this is still a romance novel and there are also moments that there are silly, flirty and sensual and a few secondary plots there were also interesting. And of course, eventually we are granted with the happily ever after that these two deserve. Review courtesy of thebooksmugglers.blogspot.com Rating: - a MUST read!!!!!After being an avid romance reader for the past 15 years, this is the first book I've ever reviewed. I felt compelled to review this book because it is quite simply the best that I've ever read,...(and I've read a lot!). Reggie Davenport is the quintessential rake. He is a womanizer, gambler, fighter, and an alcoholic. He is, in essence, on a spiral downward and is basically drinking himself to death. That's Reggie on the outside. On the inside Reggie is a kind, considerate, unselfish, humorous, and complex hero that defies explanation. Alys Weston is the quintessential strong woman. She is an independent, intelligent, accomplished steward, and is a responsible guardian of 3 children. That's Alys on the outside. On the inside Alys is a woman with a painful past and deep insecurities that debilitate her. When these two individuals who are both "not as they seem" collide..sparks fly!!! The thing that separates this book from the rest is that these two individuals are not only attracted to one another, they genuinely like and respect one another. They are friends before lovers and are great companions. I also appreciate that Alys didn't play the role of Reggie's savior. Reggie chooses to get sober for himself and his own convictions. This is a story of forgiveness, redemption, dealing with painful wounds, and most important... of 2nd chances. It made me laugh, cry, mad, happy, and all the emotions in between. Mostly though, this book made me believe and hope for the idea that there are happy endings for even the most "lost" of people. Do not look any further, anything you're looking for can be found right here. |
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